As a lover of undeniably feminine clothing and accessories, I am just as much an admirer of unisex staples. I’ve yet to meet a button down I didn’t wear threadbare. The same holds true for shoes. I adore a curvaceous heel or bow-laden ballet flat, but have a sweet disposition for traditional men’s shoes: oxfords, bucks and Weejuns—a preference likely nurtured during my private school years. With the resurgence of menswear for women over the past several seasons, designers have re-imagined mens’ classics for the fairer sex in tailored, slim versions. I’ve recently stepped into this gorgeous pair of Ralph Lauren Collection Quinton Oxford, made in Italy. They will break in nicely and only get better with age while anchoring my wardrobe’s most feminine ruffles and florals. (I’m a sucker for the juxtaposition of feminine clothing and masculine details) My first pair of oxfords since prep school, and paired with them, my first set of cedar shoe trees (monogrammed, of course). A handcrafted, sartorial investment I fully intend on handing down someday. Of all the shoes I own—and you know there are numerous—only a select few cause me to truly swoon. This is one such pair.

prov⋅e⋅nance

[prov-uh-nuhns, -nahns] –noun; place or source of origin.

Date of Purchase: Fall 2010

Circumstances: There was a large gap between desire and actually owning these shoes. A multitude of brands took a stab at the oxford in one iteration or another. I scouted several different options, purchased a few, returned them (you can read that full store here). The Ralph Lauren Collection Quinton Oxford appeared in my Twitter feed, mentioned by a gent actually. One click and I was smitten. The wingtip detail was perfect, as was the burnished cognac brown. The price, however, was not. I pursued less expensive pairs, occasionally sending photos to my friend F.E. Castleberry who continually preached holding out for the best quality pair possible. I hold that same belief, but I also explore all my options. I hunted the pair down at a local Ralph Lauren and slipped them on. As predicted, one foot in and I knew there was no going back. The difference in quality was obvious. Eventually, they were ordered and on the way, as was a set of monogrammed shoe trees. Purchase the best quality you can, and then take the best care possible. I plan on handing these down one day.

Fall is on everyone’s minds, lips and hearts these days. Even here in Texas where the temperatures are still hitting 90, a few rainy days and a tornado have us all donning our Hunters and longing for sweater (and boot) weather. All the September issues have been studied and dogeared. Avid shoppers have been snatching up fall and pre-fall items since mid-summer and yours truly is on yet another shoe quest. It’s one I’ve mentioned more than once…but when I get focused on an item, I stay so. My desire is for brogues—I’ve been pondering a pair for almost a year now. In the past 10 months I’ve fallen in love with some, missed out on others, settled, returned and settled and returned again. Here’s a recap of my journey thus far and it’s not over yet…

The story started here with some inspirational images, and this gorgeous pair of Church’s.

Church's traditional brogues

A worthwhile, albeit hefty investment, they cemented my desire for a pair of oxfords. Then J. Crew came out with their own oxfords. The soft colors and simplified design was desirable, but the sole was just too slight and slender for me. Even more affordable were the pair imagined by Steve Madden. I was drawn to the color and how they looked on a coworker, but the overall feel was just not rich enough, and I want to have these shoes for much longer than one season.

J.Crew brogues (L), Steve Madden (R)

Therefore… I waited. Waiting led to a more determined search, where I found and fell in love with a pair by Ralph Lauren Collection…

Ralph Lauren Collection Menna Oxford

…but I lost focus and lost out. Then, I came upon a few on serious sale at Urban Outfitters and pulled the trigger on both pairs. And then I returned them. Sigh. (a well-crafted pair is worth the wait and the full investment as a friend reminded me)

Chelsea Crew Oxford (L), Candela Spectator (R)

And finally, I’ve found a beautiful bench-made pair, once again from the Ralph Lauren Collection. Updated from their previous offering with a more refined wingtip and beautiful burnished toe and heel they made me swoon. I tried them on and they are a truly gorgeous shoe.

Ralph Lauren Collection Quintin Oxford

My brogue journey may come to a close with these beauties…if my patience can hold up. As they say, if it’s worth having it’s worth waiting for, and I’ve always been one for a fairytale ending.

Thoughts: “My shoes are not fashion, they are gestures.” ~Manolo Blahnik

It’s been a while since Pair Diem has been graced with a guest post and I’m more than pleased that the latest pair come from F. E. over at Unabashedly Prep. (If you’re not a regular reader, well, you should be) Read his story and vote your thoughts on his vintage brogues. Proud of a pair of your own? Send over to sara@pairdiem.com and see if they make the grade.

vintage brogues

prov⋅e⋅nance

[prov-uh-nuhns, -nahns] –noun; place or source of origin.

Date of Purchase: Fall 2009

Circumstances: Double monk straps by the likes of Ralph Lauren or Sid Mashburn are on my get list. While I scrimp and save, I decided to pick up these broken-in Cole Haan brogues on eBay to tide me over—and for $20 (including shipping), there was practically no downside.

Compliment Meter: A compliment from a woman is easy to come by; however, a compliment from a fellow man is infrequent. These brogues garner even male compliments when I lace up. I can conquer the world in these all while not losing sleep over a scuff or two.

Comfort: Though these are sans Nike Air technology, they are still comfortable. Honestly, comfort is a bit of an afterthought when you’ve purchased used brogues to kick around in at a Vampire Weekend show and drip your Guinness on.